High-potential line-switch.



PATENTBD MAY 26, *190m No. 729,172.A

E. M. HEWLETT.

HIGH POTENTIAL LINE SWITCH.

APPLIATIN FILED AG. 16, 1900.

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UNITED STATESl Patented May 26, 1903.

, PATENT OFFICE.

EDIVARD M. HEWLETT, OF SCI-IENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERALELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HIGH-POTENTIAL LINE-SWITCH;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,172, dated May 2e,1903. Application iiled August 1,6, 1900. Serial No; 271038. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that-I, EDWARD lvLHnwLETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in High-Potential Line-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to switches for highpotential currents. It isparticularly designed for use out of doors with alternating currents ofhigh potential, the object being to render the manipulation of theswitch safe, provide for its support on a pole where it is not dangerousto people or animals, and to permit it to safely interrupthigh-potential currents of large amperage.

In carrying out the invention I provide a Huid tight vessel with meansfor support upon a pole and adapted to contain an insulating liquid,such as oil. The vessel is provided with a removable cover to permitfilling and easy access to the terminals and other parts of the switchand with an en larged top, on the under side of which are insulators towhich the line-terminals may be led. mersed in the oil are provided tosurround the points where the circuit is opened,'and a long handledepending from the controlling-V lever is provided by which theattendant may safely operate the switch.

The invention involves features of construction the novelty of whichwill be more fully pointed out hereinafter and definitely indicated inthe claims appended to this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure `1 is.'l

a sectional view of a switch embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 isasectional View on a plane at right angles to that shown in Fig. 1.

1 represents an oil-tank lined on the bottom and two sides withinsulating material, as seen in Fig. 1, and provided at the top with anumber of integral lugs to accommodate set-screws securing the hollowcover 2, on top of which is a removable lid 2a. The bottom of the coveris provided with a number of openings to accommodate porce lain bushings3 3a 3". The particular type phase alternating currents.

Barriers of insulating material im-A of switch shown is intended for usewith tri- There are two rows of these bushings, as indicated in Figs. 1Aand 2, throughlwhich pass leads 4 4 4b,

being introduced into the cover through cor- Y responding rows ofbushings, as 5 and 6, supported in openings formed in an overhangingpart of the hollow cover. The terminals are bolted to ablock of wood orother insulating material 7, fastened by screwsS 8a (see ".Fig. 2) tointegral lugs, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2,) depending from thebottom of the cover. The block of wood also serves as a support forbarriers of insulating material, as 9 9, which separate the contactsfrom the side walls of the oil-well and from each other. Intermediateshorter barriers 10 10a and 11 11a are held in place between the wooden4block and an insulated bolt extending across the barriers 9 9 or betweenthe block and grooves formed in the under side of the cover. Thesebarriers rise above the surface of the oil. 'To the terminals at oneside are pivoted a plurality of movable arms, as 1 2 12 125, connectedtogether by a yoke of insulating material 13, on which is an insulatedstandard connected by alink 14 with a rod 15, pivoted to a lever 16,fulcrumed on one side of the cover in a recess formed in the casting andcarrying at its outer end a pendent long handle of insulating material`17', extending well below the parts of the below the surface of theoil, and the wooden support is slotted to permit the necessary movementsof the link connecting the controlling-lever with the movable contacts.The insulating-bridge 13 passes through curved slots, as indicated at 22in Fig. 1,

these slots being formed in the barriers to permit the necessarymovement of the parts controlling the switch. The cover overhangs theoil-well and is provided with drip-danges to prevent access of water tothe inside of the switch. Thus by raising` or lowering the handle 17 allpoints of contact are simultaneously opened or closed, the breakoccurring in oil and arcing being thereby prevented. With thisorganization after the apparatus is once installed inspection of itscondition is easily made and the switch may be controlled withoutcontact of the operator with any live parts or without bringing him intodangerous proximity to any of these parts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Aline-switch for high-potentialcurrents, comprising a casingcontaining an insulating liquid submerging the contacts, clamps forattaching the casing to a pole or other support, an overhanging top forthe casing, and insulators on the under wall of the overhanging top,through which the line-terminals may be led.

2. Aline-switch forhigh-potentialcurrents, comprising a casingcontaining an insulating liquid, overhanging portions of the casing,line-terminals leading to the under side of the same, an operating-leverfor shifting the contacts, and an opening through which a long insulatedhandle may lead to the lever to operate the switch.

3. A switch for high-potential currents, comprising a casing containingan insulating liquid, a cover for the same, circuit-terminals within thecasing, a pivoted contact conductively journaled on one terminal andadapted to make contact with the other,van insulated connection of themovable contact with an operating-lever, an opening in the casingbeneath the cover and a long insulated handle to operate the switch.

4. A high-potentialline-switch for polyphase alternating currents,comprisinga casing, an insulating liquid therein in which the contactsare effected, a cover for the casing, terminals for eachof the polyphaseline-wires, an insulating-support for said terminals beneath the levelof the insulating liquid, movable contacts, insulating-walls separatingthe several contacts from each other, and a common operating means forthe contacts of all the lines connected beneath the cover, to a longhandle of insulating material.

5. A line-switch for alternating currents, comprising an oil-well,terminals, contacts, insulating-barriers at the sides of the contactsforming a series of independent compart ments for the several contacts,an insulated yoke connecting the movable contacts below the surface ofthe oil, an operating-lever linked to the yoke, means permitting thecontrol of the lever from below the switch, and a cover overhanging theoperating parts.

6. A switch for alternating currents, comprising an oil-well, terminalsbelow the oilsurface,a plurality of pivoted bridges connecting theseveral terminals, an insulating-yoke connecting the bridges, slottedbarriers at the sides of the bridges in which the yoke may move, and anoperating-lever linked to the yoke.

n witness whereof I have hereunto set-my hand this 14th day of August,1900.

EDWARD M. HEWLETT.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, MARGARET E. WooLLnY.

